A Captivity by Clowns
by Hell's Tinkerbell
Summary: I know what you are thinking. This is not your typical lovey dovey Mary Sue fic. Joker remains IC. The insane Clown Prince wants a successor and he kidnaps a delinquent girl named Dawn to do it. J/H, sexual. R and R please. Any criticism is welcome!
1. Abduction

(I have received inspiration from the movie Coraline. So I have created my own demented version of the moview plot. The Joker, Harley Quinn, and Batman belong to DC Comics and the Dark Knight movie series. Dawn and other minor characters belong to Hell's Tinkerbell.)

"Dawn Kingston, this is the fifth time you were sent here for inappropriate behavior. What is it this time?" a man dressed in a plain brown suit said. He had been chastising a young woman of sixteen years of age in his office from behind a desk. "Snipping hair off, Mr. Washington." Dawn replied, casually. She was a fairly tall young woman with a petite, yet strong form. Her hair had been frequently dyed to outrageous colors, at the moment being a bright pink at a shoulder length. Her eyes being of gray blue and the person dressed in a typical dark punk fashion. A white tank top that says Dead and Cuddly, purple corduroy pants that hugged her hips, and black torn up sneakers.

The principal of Gotham High said, "You are a such a smart young lady and you do foolish things." "Yeah, I'm a walking paradox. Why don't you ask Britney who took my diary. It's been missing from my bag since yesterday!" she exclaimed. "I don't care about that right now. Next offense will be expulsion and it is detention for you now!" he shouted. "On my way…" she said while sitting up and grabbing a battered backpack covered in patches from the floor. Dawn left the office and extended her middle index finger to her latest victim, Britney Fisher, the blond head cheerleader with a missing pigtail. The blond gave her an aggravated expression with furrowed brows while she stood by the door and watched her leave the room.

Instead of going to the detention hall, she snuck off school grounds. The rules being of little consequence to her and wanted freedom. Her escape had been done with the ease of the famous escape artist Harry Houdini. She was a prowling raccoon by hiding in open lockers within the halls to hide herself from a security officer and jumping out of the window to land in a tree. The tree being the checkpoint, having a convenient branch that extended over a chain linked fence. With prudent grace, the delinquent girl carefully made her way to the branch, tossing the bag down to the ground, turning herself upside down by hanging from the branch, and flipping in mid-air to make a swift descent.

A brisk and carefree walk had been made across the street and had the intended destination to a nearby Darby's fast-food diner. She enjoyed the warm breeze that smelled of cooking meat and cheese from two blocks away. A trek was done from across a lush public park and passing by a decent apartment complex that had been her current place of residence. She paused before the complex and thought…_Naw, I can wait for a snack. Right now there is treasure to be found!_

Her most unusual hobby had been scavenging in designated debris stations. Also known as dumpsters. Dawn had discovered all sorts of discarded treasures within them and used them to her advantage. One's trash seemed to tell her a story about the discarder. For example, she once discovered a paper bag filled with unused condoms, birth control pills, a diamond ring, and lastly a photograph of a couple where the man's face had been scratched. To her conclusion, she assumed that it belonged to a jilted lover and had been heartbroken enough to quit having sex completely.

She made her way to the dumpster quietly and peeked inside its dark, rancid smelling chamber by lifting the lid. A pair of leather shoes beckoned her outstretched hand which rested upon a stack of papers. She leaned over the edge of the dumpster to improve her reach. A fingertip brushed a shoelace which had encouraged her to pursue and claim the elusive shoes. "Almost got it…" she said to herself.

Footsteps were heard from behind her as they approached. _Shit…I need to get away! _she thought with the fear of being caught by an authority figure. "Gotcha!" a male's voice could be heard. A pair of strong hands had grasped her buttocks and pushed her forcefully into the dumpster. Maniacal laughter had been released as Dawn screamed with surprise and fell face first into a banana peel covered in coffee grounds. As she removed the slimy item from her face in disgust and tried to stand, she yelled, "Who the fuck did that?!" The laughter increased in volume and the sound of sliding metal was made from outside the box. Her hands attempted to push the lid upward, but had failed. _The man locked me in!_ she thought fearfully and began to panic.

She had been genuinely frightened, but had forced herself to sound angry by pounding upon the lid and yelling, "Let me out of here you son of a bitch! I'll fucking kill you!" The lid had been pounded from the outside and the man's voice said, "Pipe down, girlie!" "Fuck you!" she shouted in return. "Take a bath first!" the man's voice remarked. The buzzing sound of machinery was released and heard a rumbling engine from outside as well. She felt the dumpster be lifted and moved, then heard heavy traffic rushing by her smelly prison. _He is abducting me!_ she thought with widened eyes.

An hour had passed since the abduction and the dumpster came to a stop and descended to the ground beneath. The scrapping of metal repeated, the lid was lifted to reveal a man in a purple business jacket, and blue shirt. His face was concealed beneath a rubber clown mask. Before Dawn could retaliate or protest, the man had pressed a moist cloth over her nose and mouth. Her eyelids began to slowly close, conceding to the heavy slumber in which her psyche departed from reality.

With a gasp, Dawn awoke from her sleep. Warmth and moisture surrounded her, she was either in water or a womb. All that could be seen was white and a vague blue color of water. Her eyes refused to focus, the thoughts processed at a sluggish rate. Slowly, a massive yellow blob drifted into her field of view. Shaking hands managed to reach up from the water, her muscles were weakened. The fingers rose from the surface as though they were mountains emerging from an alien ocean, reaching to the gods' never hinted at, and only envisioned in the deepest fever dreams.

"Shiiit…" she moaned softly, "I'm tripping." Had she taken a strange new drug? And where in the hell had she come across a tub this big? It seemed in scale with a Greco-Roman hedonistic monstrosity, large to the size of absurdity. Perhaps the drug that had invaded her mind, made it seem that gigantic. Slowly, her cyclopean hand grasped the yellow thing before her, rotating it into focus. "A duck…what the fuck?" she said, confused. Behind her came a shrill cackle. "She's a poet and **now** she knows it!" a female's voice said. As startled as she was, Dawn could only rotate slowly to face the voice's owner. "I was wondering when you would be pontificating!" she said again.

She faced the woman who seemed to be twenty years of age. Her out-fit had consisted of a red and black tight jester's outfit with a diamond pattern. Her exposed skin had been completely painted a uniformed white, the only exception had been black accenting her eyes and lips.

"Are you…the Crow?" Dawn asked. Her question sent the young woman nearly toppling off the chair she had been sitting in, apparently watching Dawn in the tub. Her mind began to become clarified with logic and pressed herself against the curved porcelain wall to preserve her modesty. "No, I'm not dead yet," she replied with a seductive smile and waggling her fingers at Dawn, "Harley-Harley Quinn." Everything about the painted woman shook Dawn's nerves and had mild anxiety. "I am here to give you something." Harley explained. She stood up, slowly approaching the recessed tub. "Several things, actually." she added. Her hand extended and offered it to Dawn. "Fuck you, I don't even know how I got here, so there's no way in **hell** I'm touching you!" Dawn snapped.

The drugs began to mix unpleasantly with her adrenaline. Suddenly, Harley's leg whipped out, stepping upon Dawn's head and induced pressure to drive her beneath the water. Panicking, Dawn flailed at the boot, grasping wildly and attempting to pull herself from under her captor's foot and emerge to the air. She could hear Harley's laughter at her expense of struggling. Once the foot lifted, Dawn bursted from the water, gasping and spluttering. Again, Harley offered the hand. "Gonna take it this time?" Harley asked in a condescending manner. Dawn growled beneath her breath and accepted the hand tightly. She had been jerked nude from the water. "Now put this on." Harley ordered. She pulled a short, frilly yellow dress that had been trimmed with white lace from behind the chair and a pair of white bloomers. It resembled a Victorian doll's garments. "Gotta look good, ya know!" Harley added to the command.

Harley deftly whipped open a butterfly knife, gracefully tossing it from between hands and watching Dawn adorning the person with the dress and bloomers. "Time for you to meet Mr. J." she said. Her grin being absolutely humorless, showing her many pearly white teeth. "And who the fuck is that, huh?! Some twisted shithead who gets his rocks off stripping girls down, throwing them in tubs, and dressing them up like dollies?!" Dawn demanded with ferocity. Harley giggled, the pale blue eyes flicking to something out of Dawn's sight line. "Not exactly." she replied. Dawn snarled, leaning forward. "If you're gonna kill me, then do it. If I'm gonna meet Mr. J, then take me there! Just quit fucking around!" Dawn demanded again.

"Sure thing!" the same male's voice said. The voice was a mirthful, bouncing baritone, surprisingly loud. Surprising, due to its proximity. Dawn whipped around, only to find herself inches from a psychotic, grinning visage. A red slash of a smile arced across crudely smeared white makeup. Yellow teeth stood out in his enormous grin, the scars of a Chelsea Smile extending past the corners of his mouth turned it literally nearly ear to ear. "'Welcome to my parlor,' said the spider to the fly!" he said eerily.

Dawn scampered backwards, colliding into Harley. "Allow me to introduce myself…I am the Clown Prince of Crime!" he said. He clasped both of his hands behind his back and bowing deeply, his greasy green hair falling over his face. With a flip of his neck, it whipped back. "You, however, can call me The Joker." he concluded.

Dawn stepped forward, barely contained her anxiety and performed a curtsy. She had hoped that the gesture may appease him in her captivity to lessen the frightening situation. A sheepish grin emerged and with nervousness in her tone, she managed to say, "Uh…It is nice to meet you, Mr. Joker. My name is Dawn Kingston." Joker giggled beneath his breath and remarked, "What's with the manners all of a sudden?" "It's nothing." she replied.

He then approached her and pushed her hair aside to peer into her widened eyes. Dawn breathed heavily, suppressing her fear of his very presence as the sweat poured down her pale face. A violet leather gloved hand gently clutched her chin to lift the face upward. Dawn forced herself to make eye contact, facing the hazel eyes that penetrated her own. His face hovering three inches away from her. "You look nervous. Is it the scars?" he asked in a tone that seemed sympathetic. "No, sir…" she answered, truthfully. "Then what's making you so scared?" he asked. She paused, not certain if a sincere answer would either result herself being subjected to torture or an agonizing death. "It-It's because…I don't know why I'm here." she said, choosing the words carefully.

Joker giggled again, bringing his face an inch closer. She could smell the sugary sweet scent of faint cotton candy that flowed from his breath. Her hands balled into fists in order to restrain their trembling. "You try so hard to be tough, don't ya? You're a wonder, that's why you're here. We have seen your little fun and it would be bad to have such talent wasted. I know everything about you, Little Miss Sunshine. So please…" he paused his speech to trace a knife across her cheek. His voice lowered to a soft sadistic tone, "Smile for me…" Dawn breathed heavier and obeyed him, the smile emerging in a quivering manner. He then looked to Harley and exclaimed, "Such an obedient girl! Let's play with her!" "Play?" she asked nervously. "Let's do some tickle torture!" Harley said in a wicked childish manner.

Dawn took this moment to think of an escape plan during Joker's distraction. _Demonic or not, they are just like any person with the same vulnerabilities. _she thought quickly. She then fell upon her knees and cried out, "Don't kill me!" Joker laughed heartily at this cowardly act and said, "We have finally spooked her! We win!" Dawn began to weep, having tears stream down her cheeks, a hand quickly snatching the toy duck from the tub. _It's working…_she thought. Joker gestured to Harley to approach her and said, "Bring her to the play room." His eyes then widened with surprise to see a small streak of yellow strike Harley in her left eye. "Yeow!" she screamed while clutching the injured eye. "You little brat!" he roared. He began to charge at her, which had been foolish, it caused him to collide into a bare foot that had slammed his testicles. Joker screamed in pain while cradling the crotch and yelled in anger to have Dawn shove him into the tub with a tremendous splash.

She then, grabbed a bottle of liquid soap solution from the floor, quickly shuffling backwards while spraying the floor with the fluid. "Come back here!" Harley shouted. She then began to pursue her, only to slip and fall repeatedly upon the soapy trail. Dawn's heart fluttered and thumped violently against her ribs as though it were a caged bird striving for freedom. Just as her hand clutched the door knob, she felt a penetrating sting upon her neck. Her face grimaced with pain, having a hand inspect her neck, and felt a foreign object protrude from the flesh. The hand grasped the object as her psyche felt the familiar heavy lethargic sensation. She removed the item to be shocked to see a small dart clutched between a forefinger and thumb. _He drugged me again!_ she thought fearfully. The eyelids slowly closed and collapsed upon the floor.


	2. Confessions of a Teenage Loser

Joker continued to monitor his hostage with keen interest. He had been the one who had lifted Dawn's unconscious body from the floor after the escape attempt. His demeanor being unexpectingly gentle in the midst of ambulating her to a small room with the walls painted in a pale pink. The interior had resembled a little girl's bedroom with a toy chest that resembled a white heart shaped trove, a night light that had been a red heart, a night stand that had a lamp covered in white lace, a bed covered in Disney princess characters and surrounded by a billowy pink lace canopy. The mattress populated by obnoxiously adorable plush toys. He delicately settled her upon the soft feathery bed, pushing the hair out of her face. "Sweet dreams, sunshine." he whispered. After leaving the room, he had locked the door from the outside using several padlocks.

Dawn's eyelids slowly opened, her vision once again blurred, yet it began quickly clarify. She found the same psychotic painted grinning visage hovering before her. Her face grimaced as a nauseating sensation began to dominate the vertigo that had faded. "You're awake…" he commented. "Sadly, yes…" she muttered.

Her blurry world managed to take in the rest of the cheery bedroom, finding her limbs being restrained to the posts of the bed by shackles and chains. She struggled within her confinement while growling beneath her breath. "Let me go!" she demanded. "Nope." he said while laughing. "Fuck you!" she yelled. The back of Joker's gloved hand had struck one of her cheeks, leaving a throbbing red bruise upon the skin. "Watch your mouth, you disrespectful little brat!" he shouted. Dawn narrowed her eyes while breathing heavily and spat saliva-filled blood in his face. He struck her other cheek in the same manner and began to pat the blood off his face with a handkerchief from a coat pocket.

"You know that you will be punished for being a very bad girl. I gave you a new place to stay, a bath, and even your own cute bedroom…and this is how you repay me?! You ungrateful little cunt!" he shouted with escalating aggravation.

"How can I be ungrateful when I didn't ask for it in the first place?" she asked.

"Don't make me the bad guy." he said in a mock pleading manner.

"That's already been done." she said.

"If you be a good girl now, it won't be worse later." he warned.

"I've heard that line too many times." she muttered while looking away from him.

"Are you sure this is the way you want it?" Joker asked.

"Does this mean you're spoiling me more?" she remarked.

Joker grumbled beneath his breath while tightening his fists and teeth together near her bedside and said, "Oh my dear little sunshine, the fun is **just beginning**." He paused to have his voice call out, "Harley! Bring in…the book!"

Harley entered the bedroom with a kazoo that had played a trumpeting fanfare between her lips and carrying a familiar tome upon a silver tray with her gloved hands. She presented the tome to Joker who gladly claimed it. "Let's take a sermon from the good book shall we?" he said in a Southern accent, "Do you recognize this? I'm sure you will." He presented the book before Dawn's face and to her mortifying humiliation and horror…it was her diary! _So he was the one who took it! _she thought, dumbfounded. Joker cleared his throat and began to read out loud the following in a high pitched mocking effeminate tone, "February 14, 2009.

Dear Diary,

It's Valentine's Day and I'm dateless! The same as last year and the year after that and the year after that…Kevin kept on ignoring me and it's been driving me crazy! I had been dropping hints to him…having my skirt 'accidentally' show my ass in front of him. That didn't work! I 'casually' stretched in front of him at the track meet in a sexy way and he didn't even notice me! So today I asked him if he wanted to do something with me tonight. He just said, "I'm busy." and shrugged me off. I was hoping this Valentine's day would be special this year. Manless again…and to be honest…I'm really really horny! If I could not have him touch me then I had to touch myself!"

Joker paused his speech to see Dawn's flushed face and immediately looking to the floor. The heavy shame compelled her not to do eye contact. He giggled and returned to reading the diary entry,

"I rushed home…that strong passionate feeling going through my crotch like a boiling geyser! I could explode at any minute. Luckily, my mom was not home and it made the moment perfect. I pretended Kevin threw me on the bed and lifted my skirt, exploring my hot and wet pussy with his fingers. It was not the same with my small fingers compared to his bigger ones. Teasing my clit had helped and my feelings only got worse. I had to pretend that his penis entered me! But what could I use? I tried using two fingers…it was not enough…I needed something bigger! I ran to the kitchen to see what was useful. It was so dirty to look for something like that in the fridge which made it more exciting! My eyes searched frantically in the fridge while whining. And there it was…sitting so innocently in a plastic bag that was wrinkled…like a green colored dick in a large condom…the fresh cucumber! I snatched it from the fridge, slamming the door, and ran to my bedroom. I repeated the romance novel-like moment again in my head, having my hands pretend they were his, fondling my breasts. My nipples could slice through butter, being tender as I teased them between my fingers as well as my extending clit. I stroked my honey pot, being subtle, moaning Kevin while doing it. I saved the best for last…I said to him in my fantasy…"Give it to me…right now!" I had put on a lower tone that seemed close to his voice, "As you wish…" It was so fucking perfect and thrusted the cucumber into my hot, wet pussy! I moaned even louder, almost screamed with pleasure as this fake dick slid inside and out. My covers being moist with my gushing juices as I let the vegetable slide in and out…in and out…faster…faster…harder…harder…It made me wonder if the real Kevin would be this good in bed. Fantasy is better and I'll take it! And took it I did! For two whole hours! By the time I was done…I was exhausted. I lied there in my wet, messy bed…exhausted, but for once, satisfied. I should eat my vegetables more often…they can be very kind to me…At least this Valentine's day was a little different, despite that it was not with Kevin. Cucumbers could never ignore me."

Joker concluded the entry. The expression on his face seemed to indicate genuine amazement with a slackened open jaw and widened eyes. "Well…aren't you a big girl with big adult feelings! My, my, what a dirty little mind inside that charming head." he commented. Dawn gritted her teeth, both enraged and incredibly ashamed. She struggled with intensified frenzy and yelled, "I'm…going…to…fucking…**kill** you!!!" Her frenzy had managed to break one of the bed posts under the force of her thrashings. Her form half-way sat up and threw the available jagged piece of wood at his head in the manner of a spear. He dodged the projectile as it flew past his head and into the wall. This act caused him to laugh heartily and provocatively leering upon her body, being thoroughly amused by her temper. "This has been so much fun! Harley, tie her up good this time….I've got some **business** to take care of." he said. He slowly began to exit the room with a protruding bulge that had emerged between his legs, licking the corners of his scarred mouth lustfully.


	3. Insane Family Fun Hour

It had been late at night where Dawn spent the remainder of her time bound to the bed. She managed to drift off to sleep at her natural rate with the head facing to the right side in her dark room. Her sleep had been interrupted by the sensation of a weight being pressed against her pelvis as well as the areas near her hips and arms sinking the mattress. The eyes opened to find the dim outline of a man with greasy green, curled hair straddling her pelvis along with the legs by tucking them under his knee caps. Dawn remembered that she was no longer in her mother's apartment and being in The Joker's captivity. Reality invaded her hazy dream world and she had attempted to struggle, finding any means to jar him from her body.

"Get off of me!" she shouted. "Don't be like that, just enjoy it." he whispered, lowering his face to hers. She breathed heavier, the hollowed eyes gazing into her own surrounded by black paint had caused her heart to pound violently against her very sternum. He seemed to resemble a demon that had penetrated and probed her soul with his gaze alone. A predator who came to feast upon her existence and body while in a defenseless position. Her impending fear escalated once his nose touched hers, shivering as the nostrils nuzzled her own, feeling the hot breath against her face. "W-w-what are you doing?" she stuttered. "This!" he said happily and kissed her in a lustful sloppy motion. She screamed within his open mouth as his eel-like tongue forcefully caressed her teeth and tongue, his bare hands clutching her cheeks to hold the head firmly to the pillow.

He removed his mouth from hers and licked the neck as her hands clenched into fists. "You are delicious. Let's see if your honey pot is tasty, too." he said softly while sitting upward. She then began to feel a different type of pressure upon her lower stomach from between his legs. The very protruding bulge from beneath his purple slacks nearly brought her to tears, assuming that her rape was but seconds away. "No, please…don't do this…" she begged. Dawn helplessly watched his hands lift her frilly dress from the pelvis, exposing the bloomers that had been momentarily slid to her knees. He began to unzip his pants with a wicked childish giggle. She had been frightened enough to where she wanted to scream, yet had been unable to do so. From his pants, he removed a cucumber and placed it at her vulva. "A present from Kevin!" he said while laughing manically.

She had a confused look on her face and soon became intensely enraged as he jumped off the bed and dashed out of the room. His laughter continued for ten minutes and became louder by Dawn's angry cursing. Another part of her mind had been grateful that he did not rape her and not left her pregnant with an ill-favored child.

Moments later a feminine silhouette entered the doorway and its voice shouted, "What the fuck just happened?!" "Your boyfriend being a creep! That's what happened! You need to put a leash on him like the dog that he is!" Dawn answered angrily. "You seduced him! I see the way he looks at you!" Harley shouted with an accusing pointing finger. "Just how stupid are you?! I've been tied up! I don't want to be dragged into this insane love triangle that's been started!" she exclaimed. "Don't talk shit about, Mr. J! He's my puddin'!" Harley said in defense. Dawn thought _She seems to be easily manipulated and gullible, maybe she can do the same thing for me to help me escape. I will have to try. _

"If he's **puddin**' then how come he treats you like a door matt and not a door prize?" she asked. Harley paused and asked, "I'm a door matt?" "Yeah, I mean if he is this so-called Clown Prince of Crime doesn't that make you his princess?" she asked. "Yeah… Yeah! I am his princess!" Harley exclaimed. "And as his princess shouldn't he treat you like one? Crack your own whip for once. Do something about it." she said encouragingly. Harley looked over her shoulder and said quickly, "Mr. J is going to check on you again soon. You better get back to sleep or he's going to hurt you." "Easier said than done considering what happened." she said while grumbling. "Wait for me. If he peeks in, fake sleep. I'll be right back." Harley said and disappeared from the threshold rapidly.

Dawn nodded and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm herself despite the circumstances. She heard footsteps approach the room and her eyelids closed, breathing slowly to simulate sleep. "Hmph…Sleeping like a baby." Joker's voice said and his footsteps drifted away from the room. Thirty seconds have passed and she felt a finger gently tap her upon the shoulder. Dawn opened the eyes to see Harley standing beside her bed with a plastic bottle of Slumberaide in her hands. "Thank you…Harley." she said slowly, managing to smile. "You're welcome, now open your mouth." Harley said. Her demeanor had been nearly maternal as she placed the bottle to Dawn's open lips, tilting the container to pour the soothing blue fluid into her mouth. Dawn swallowed the medicine as soon as the bottle was removed from her lips. "You should feel sleepy and drift to dreamland in a minute tops," Harley said, "We will wait for you in the morning." "What's going to happen in the morning?" she asked. "You'll see and you'll like it." Harley replied. Dawn raised a brow yet felt uneasy as the drug began to take affect, blinking the eyes several times in the midst of watching her leave the room quietly.

She had awoken in the morning to find her limbs being unbound from the shackles and her garments returned to their proper bodily places. To her confusion, the door was completely open that lead to a dark, narrow hallway. Dawn became curious to see another door at the other side of the hall that had glowed bright white from the outline. What increased her curiosity had been the robust and sweet scent of cooking bacon and maple syrup. Lively jazz music from the 1920s era echoed down the walls. She had been apprehensive, knowing that her captors awaited her arrival, yet felt compelled to exit the bedroom to follow the scent and eat the cooked food. Her stomach began to release impatient and gargling growls. Dawn decided to follow her hunger instincts and obey her caution that advised to remain alert for personal safety.

She climbed out of the bed and found a pair of black leather Mary Jane shoes resting upon the floor with white ankle frilly socks. What made the sudden appearance of the shoes unusual was a tag attached to the shoes by a yellow ribbon. She had untied the ribbon to read the scrawled words:

To: Dawn "Sunshine"

From: Mr. J

As much as she disagreed with the fashion of the footwear, it seemed better than having freezing cold feet. The girl donned the socks and shoes, being amazed that they had been comfortable. Dawn then left the room to walk down the hall cautiously and push the door aside to peer inside through a crack in the threshold.

She discovered a typical quaint kitchen with Harley wearing a ruffled pink apron with a red heart on the center of the chest, adding batter to a pan upon the stove's surface. What added to the comical, bizarre atmosphere was Joker sitting in the adjoining dining room, smoking a pipe while reading a newspaper at a mahogany wooden table. "So are you coming to eat or aren't you?" Joker suddenly asked. Dawn jumped several inches from the ground in her shock with widened eyes. "Well?" he asked again, impatiently.

She entered the room slowly, the apprehension increasing with each step towards the dining room. Her muscles tightened while walking past Joker towards a seat furthest from his chair and across from himself. "That's a good girl." he commented while peering over the lowered newspaper. His gaze influenced a sheepish grin while attempting to remain calm. He leaned over the table to peer closer which incited sweat to pour down her face while fidgeting with a paper napkin. "Aww…What's the matter? Come tell Papa Joker all about it." he said in a sympathetic tone. He outstretched his arms and gestured with his hands while shifting his legs to the side of the chair, beckoning her to approach him. Dawn tightened her grip upon the napkin while shaking her head. "Come heeeereee." he called out to her in a playfully child-like manner. She obeyed by rising from her chair and slowly walked towards him, then paused at a three foot distance. "Closer than thaaaat." he coaxed. She swallowed nervously and stood at an arms length distance from his form. "Sit with me." he said while claiming a wrist and pulled her to him. He forcefully placed her upon his lap and hugged her, which nearly made her eyes pop from their sockets and become as stiff as a statue in his clutches.

"Now tell me what's making you so twitchy." he said. She began to think of a truthful answer without inciting this unpredictable man to suddenly hurt her. "It-It's because being in a new place scares me." she said. "You shouldn't be scared. You should be happy. I took you away from that serious place." he said. "I…see…" she said, stifling her urge to argue with him. "I'll be a better daddy than the man who left for that tart." he added. Dawn cringed and wanted to know how he knew her family history, but reminded herself that he read her diary. A psychopathic clown knowing her personal secrets had frightened her immensely.

She had resentment towards her father who often snuck out at night when her mother was asleep in bed. This routine had continued for two months until she discovered his belongings and car were gone. The only item left behind was a callous letter upon the refrigerator held by magnetic heart.

To Whom It May Concern,

I left to be with Ginger who satisfies me and not let herself go. I'm tired of being a father and do not want any responsibilities. I'm not coming back!

Robert.

"He…did hurt me." she said, agreeing with the presented concept. Joker smiled and stroked her back. "I'm glad you see it my way. Now get ready to eat. Mama Harley should bring us breakfast soon." he said gently. "Yes, sir." she said quietly, suppressing an emotional outburst. He released her from his grasp and helped her stand independently. Without warning, she felt a hand smack her buttocks. The gesture made her spin around and raised her fist to him. He stood up quickly in an intimidating fashion. She growled beneath her breath while lowering the fist and returned to her chair. He chuckled to see her glare from across the table, enjoying her aggravation.

"You'll be great to carry on the family business." he commented. "Isn't that what a son is for?" Dawn asked. Joker laughed heartily and replied, "No other boy could grasp what I am. I am what I am in life and in death. A girl is better so she doesn't steal my act. I didn't want just any girl, she has to be like me." "I think you chose the wrong girl." she said. "Nope, you're like me because you act out since it amuses you. Am I right?" Joker inquired. Dawn paused, thought about the comparison and said, "Yes." "And I had to be sure you were the lucky girl to wear my crown. What better source than to read your life novel?" he explained and added, " I love your documented mischief. My favorite had been you setting off fireworks in the teacher's lounge!" She furrowed her brows while growling softly beneath her breath. "That's spying…" she said, quietly though secretly liking the compliment. He laughed heartily and said, "**I** call it covert research."

Harley approached the table with plates filled with pancakes and bacon and placed them upon the appropriate place mats. "Clean your plate like a good girl." Harley said sweetly and patted Dawn's head. She sauntered to Joker and sat upon his lap. They watched Dawn eat the pancakes and smiled to see her grin while upon tasting a portion. She could not stop herself from watching Harley feed Joker the pancakes by the fork. It was strange in a romantic sense to see this couple interact with each other. Every gesture was but a pretending game to enjoy together.

Dawn decided to try to appease them further after she finished the delicious food. "If you don't mind…I would like to wash the dishes." she said, displaying her best fake smile. "Thank you, sunshine," Joker said pleasantly and turned to Harley, "And you will dry them." "Righteroony, Mr. J." Harley said and bounced off his lap.

Dawn watched Joker in the midst of washing the dishes from a reflection in a glass cup. She exhaled a sigh of relief to watch him leave the room and said to Harley, "I don't want to come between you two and he's getting worse around me." "You didn't put any more moves on him again, did you?" Harley asked sternly. "No, it's…You know, women's intuition." she said, being flustered. "Okay." Harley said warily. "And since you find me to be a threat, wouldn't it best to help me out of here?" she asked. Harley looked to her with a scrutinizing fashion and remained silent, returning to the task of drying dishes**.**


	4. Envy and Sodomy

Harley began to become envious of Dawn's presence. It disgusted her to witness Joker give the girl special attention instead of herself. She wanted to believe that he still desired her. His gestures and games towards their hostage had doubted the thought. _What does she have that I don't?_ Harley thought bitterly.

The haughty jealousy became apparent by noticing white panties resting upon Joker's desk inside of his office. At first, she assumed that the undergarment was her own, yet the pattern was different. She peered closer to discover that the size had been smaller and came to the conclusion that this had belonged to Dawn. "That whore!" she exclaimed angrily. "Did the green-eyed monster bite you on the ass?" a voice from behind her asked casually.

Harley grumbled beneath her breath and said, "No, it kicked me there!" Joker giggled as he hugged her from behind. "Our little girl needs a mommy, not a jealous bitch." he said firmly. "I did always wanted to be one…" Harley agreed, yet stuck to the question that bothered her. "Why was this here on the desk?" "Research. As loving parents we should know the kid's sizes." he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. Harley half-believed his answer, but the tenacious suspicions and jealousy ever lingered in her mind. "True, she's a growing girl. Her temper tantrums still need work." she commented. "Oh, but that's what makes her so much fun!" he exclaimed, and giggled again. "Speaking of the devil, I'm going to check on our she-demon now." she said, and departed the office at a care-free pace.

Harley walked down the hall, whistling an innocent melody from between her black-painted lips. The door pushed aside to hear running water in the adjoining room to the pink bed chamber. She peeked inside the private bathroom to find Dawn relaxing in a bathtub full of hot water in the nude. The girl did not seem to acknowledge her presence as she approached the small steaming tub. "What's your angle?!" Harley demanded. Dawn jumped slightly which caused the water to ripple and splash to the white tiled floor. "What are you talking about?!" she asked, bewildered. "I'm not stupid! I've seen the way he looks at you! Frankly, I don't need some little hussy coming in and stealing my man!" Harley bellowed. "You're crazy, bitch! There is nothing between us, you fucking cunt! He's not worth stealing and cheaper than any five-finger discount!" Dawn said in defense. "Bullshit! I found your panties on Mr. J's desk! You lieing little whore!" Harley shouted. "I'm the whore? **He** is the whore! Like I said before, keep him on a leash!" Dawn yelled. "I know a better way to solve this problem…" Harley said, confidently.

Her gloved hands grasped Dawn by the hair, submerging her head beneath the soapy water. Bubbles generated upon the water's surface as Dawn's fists punched at Harley in random areas. She tolerated the strikes, having throbbing bruises form on the neck, ribs, and breasts. "Nobody's going to take my puddin' away! No whore is going to upstage me! I'm his true clown princess!" Harley ranted in the midst of withstanding her struggle. The more Dawn's fists pounded upon her body, the more her determination to drown her increased. It seemed as though she had been trying to restrain a bucking bronco that splashed water wildly in a river. Dawn tried to lift her head from the water, attempting break away from Harley's grip. One hand pressed harshly on her slender back, as the other maintained a strong grasp on the hair. Dawn managed to grab an extended scrub brush and tried to strike Harley in the head from behind her. Harley suddenly thrusted her back into the water with all her enraged might, causing Dawn to drop the scrub brush with a loud clatter to the floor. She laughed maniacally to see Dawn's strength in her struggle decrease. Harley was certain and became elated to that she would finally be free from Dawn's supposed usurping position. Her brief moment of eventual primal triumph had been interrupted by a pair of arms that had lifted her from the tub and sent her flying into the adjoining bedroom. Harley's head collided into the bed post upon impact and yelled in pain.

Dawn felt strong hands lift her head from the water and guiding her torso to sit upright. She coughed harshly in the midst of expelling the stinging warm water from her lungs. One of the hands repeatedly slapped her back, seemingly to aid her in breathing properly. Her eyes slowly opened to see Joker with a stern expression on his face as he roughly lifted her from the tub. He removed a fluffy white bathrobe that hung from a towel rack, covered her shuddering body with the garment, and quickly ushered her out of the bathroom. "Sit!" he said, gruffly while forcing Dawn to sit upon the mattress.

Joker rushed to Harley and grabbed her by the throat, compelling her to stand as he backhanded her across the face several times. He then roughly thrusted her body into a vanity set and kneed her repeatedly in the stomach. Harley whimpered and screamed during the assault. She curled her bruised and bloody form into a fetal ball, using the arms and hands to shield her head from his random kicks and brutal stomping. "How dare you defy me! She can't pass on my legend if she's dead. I can easily pick up any dame from the street corner to replace you!" Joker said angrily. "You hardly touched me anymore ever since you brought that hussy home!" she managed to shout despite the physical agony. "I don't give a shit about your lady problems! They are worthless right now!" he bellowed.

"I think you've made your point already! Please stop!" Dawn exclaimed after she helplessly watched the savage beating. As much as she had been angry with her, she could not help but associate Harley with her mistreated mother. Joker looked to her in bewilderment and said, "Don't tell me there is a sweet center beneath that hard shell of yours." Harley looked to Dawn in surprise to hear her speak those words. "Look, all I'm saying is that there is a time to stop." Dawn said nervously. "If you don't shut up, you'll get it worse!" he threatened. She looked down to the ground, closing her eyes while nodding solemnly, and said, "Yes sir…." "Damn straight, 'Yes, sir.'!" he said and turned his attention to Harley. "And I know what will fix your problem." he said and released insane laughter. He grabbed Harley by the scruff of the neck and dragged her body out of the room.

"P-p-puddin'…Please let me go…I didn't mean it…I wasn't trying to kill her. I was trying to teach sunshine a lesson, honest!" Harley stammered. Joker did not answer her in the midst of dragging her down the hall and through the kitchen to the next room. He opened the door to a chaotically passionate bedroom decked in black tattered draperies. Harley had been tossed upon a blood red bedspread and her lips quivered with fright to see Joker's face remain stern. "What are you going to do to me?" she managed to ask despite her petrifying fear. "You'll see…" he replied in the midst of walking towards a large wooden cabinet. He pulled the doors open and reached inside to withdraw a object, quickly clutching it behind his back to obscure her view. Joker turned to look upon Harley with a smirk.

He slowly approached the bed, the smirk increased with each step. Harley became fearful of the menacing demeanor as he crept toward her, her heart pounded within her chest like a jackhammer. As he made it to the bed, Harley curled into a ball, being prepared for a worse beating than before. His arm rose from behind his back, she quickly tucked her head inward and waited for the punishment to begin. Suddenly, she felt a light, feathery object fall upon her arm. To her confusion and surprise, she lifted her head to spy an appealing black lace teddy resting upon her form. She looked to Joker and smiled. "Oooooo I love make-up sex!" she squealed with delight. Harley jumped from the bed with the teddy in hand, paused to blow a kiss to him, and ran to the bathroom to make herself presentable.

Joker then began to do an operation of his own. He was like any man that would prepare a sexually passionate atmosphere for his woman. He had the candles about the room lit, burnt cinnamon incense, and had the stereo play the song 'Devilicious by Angelspit. The only exception had been his own broadcasting system that had added to his own unique pleasing theme. He had activated two cameras installed in the walls, one that was stationed at the ceiling and the other stationed at the headboard of the bed.

Dawn approached the sink in her personal bathroom in her attempt to recover from the savage scene. As she washed her face, a strange buzzing noise interrupted the peaceful moment. She listened carefully to hear that it came from the bedroom. Dawn's curiosity increased as she spied the painting that had been in front of her bed shifting independently to the left to reveal an LCD monitor screen. To her dismay and extreme shock, she noticed Joker standing inside a seductive bedroom.

She approached the screen to observe closer, discovering the lit candles and the sexual electronic music that had played in the background. Dawn watched him remove his clothing in a strangely skillful manner. It was strange to her since it had been incredibly fast. Her eyes bulged to see him fully nude. He had been very attractive; the chiseled chest, firm abdominal muscles and ass compelled her to remain frozen before the screen. Her jaw had been agape, being stupefied by his pleasing form. What had compelled her the most was the present erect slender, large hooded cock that had been extended from his pelvis. She could not decide whether to be appalled or aroused by the sight of him The combination had been strongly conflicting her logic and unfilled passion. What increased her surprise had been witnessing Harley entering the room dressed in a transparent black teddy. _Her boobs are bigger than mine. I have to admit that they are nice-looking._ she thought while frowning. Suddenly, Joker covered one of the cameras with a black curtain, leaving only the ceiling camera to broadcast freely. _Why did he cover that other camera? There must be a reason for that._ she thought, bewildered.

Harley anxiously hopped upon the mattress, positioning herself on the knees and stroked her frame in a provocative manner. One palm caressing the breasts as her fingers teased the nipples that became hardened. She used the other graceful hand to slither snake-like down her ribs, stomach, and meeting the pelvis. The fingers teasing the clit between them from beneath her black lace thong. She began to moan with pleasure as her hands began to incite the euphoric sensation throughout her body. Harley leaned forward seductively, beckoning him to approach with anticipation rather than fear with the slightest gesture of her waving hand. "Make-up sex is always the best!" she said and licked her lips with a soft giggle.

Joker obeyed her summoning gesture and began to caress her body simultaneously, kissing her slowly with his tongue that slithered into her mouth. He began to gently press her to the mattress and paused to hear Harley beg excitedly, "Oooo Oooo I wanna be on top! I wanna be on top!" "No, you shall be on the bottom. You've been very naughty…" he said firmly. "You've got it, Mr. J!" she said excitedly, and plopped herself upon the covers, spreading her legs open in anticipation.

Joker then positioned her pelvis with his own, inserting his stiff and throbbing prick into her hotly moist pussy. She nearly screamed with pleasure as soon he entered her provocative region. Her hands caressed his back and traced her nails along the smooth skin. He thrusted into her slowly, until the motion increased its speed. The faster it became, the louder she moaned. With Harley distracted by her powerful pleasure, he removed the headboard's curtain to reveal a camera and monitor visible only to his view.

Dawn seemed to be more bewildered by the revealed camera view. She could see Joker and Harley, having sex head on. It disgusted yet aroused her to witness this erotic act. From the revealed camera angle, she could see Joker's chest above Harley's bouncing breasts, and straddling her pelvis with her legs hooked around his. The alluring cock covered in Harley's juices in mid-thrusting, and the sounds of lustful sex bellowing from the television monitor.

As his thrustings increased with vigor, he decided to added one extra element to his peep show. He looked upward in the midst of their sex, looking at the image of Dawn at the headboard display screen and peering into the camera so she may see him looking directly at her. Dawn had been suddenly stupefied to see Joker peering at her. _That sick sadistic motherfucker! Is this how he really gets his rocks off?! _she thought angrily. "Fuck you!" she yelled while extending her middle index finger at his image. Joker being able to see her gesture, shook his head that indicated "no." Her eyes bulged as she realized he had been watching her as he had sex with Harley. _He is sick! Now I know how insane he is! He really doesn't give a shit at all!_ she thought. She became disgusted enough to walk backwards and fall onto the bed upon her ass.

Her expression then changed from disgusted to stunned as the vigorous thrusting became a frenzied shaking between them. The headboard pounding louder against the wall with rocketing springs that repeatedly squeaked. Harley screamed with unbridled passion and pleasure as Joker gave her his version of the "Stars and Stripes Forever" before climaxing, pulling out and blowing his load all over Harley's pelvis and stomach. Harley completely sprawled upon the bed covered in sweat, satisfaction, and cum. "Was it good for you, Mr. J?" she asked, panting heavily in a lowered soft tone. "Oh, yes." he said, directing his attention to Dawn's monitor and with a sadistic smile, he asked, "Was it good for you?" Dawn threw a glass jar full of perfume at the screen, shattering the LCD display with a barrage of sparks, then static covered his monitor. She could not see him, yet his sadistic laughter had been heard through the speakers.


	5. Conflictions and Debuts

Dawn's sanity had been shaken since yesterday's appalling events. Her defiant urge to rebel against Joker strengthened, _I will not back down! I will not crack! _had been her mantra to combat the ordeal. What had reinforced her sanity had been performing origami in secret, using the available notebook paper from the vanity desk. She began to create several folded paper animals ever since she had been freed from the bed. The art had served as a mental sanctuary from each time she had been tormented and kept the animals hidden in a desk drawer.

The next morning, Dawn had awakened from her sleep to rise from her bed and approached the desk with the intent of viewing her animals. She thought of it as her own little "zoo." To her dismay and horror, the withdrawn drawer showed the animals to be absent. "Oh no!" she exclaimed with panic. Her hands probed the drawer and frantically searched the other drawers. All of which were empty.

"Looking for these?" Joker's voice said from behind her. Dawn whirled around to see him holding a metallic platter that displayed her animals. "Give them back!" she demanded. Dawn lunged toward the platter only to have it be elevated from her reach with his grasping hand. The other hand pushed her upon the bed as he giggled. He then plucked a crane from the platter and murmured, "Such a pretty bird…" A zippo lighter fell from the inside of his right sleeve to his palm. He placed the platter upon the desk and lit the crane on fire. "Look! I made a phoenix!" he exclaimed and laughed heartily. The crane burnt to ashes once placed upon the platter. He then pouted and complained, "What a dud! But that's okay! There is plenty more where that came from!"

He continued to burn her animals, adding agonizing beast-like cries to each appropriate species. Joker made feline yowls with each burnt cat, canine howls to each dog, swine squealing to each pig, and obnoxious neighing for the horses. Dawn's rage increased with each animal he had incinerated. His laughter became louder and more gleeful to observe her clenching the fists and furrowing her brows.

"You fucking asshole!" she yelled.

"Yes, and I'm proud of it!" he chimed.

"I'm going to rip your head off and shit down your neck!" she bellowed.

"Oh please…I've slaughtered bigger men than you for less, and you're no different than the shit I scrape off my shoe." he said dismissing her threat confidently. Joker then cleared his throat and spoke in an effeminate frightened tone, "Oh please stop!" His voice then shifted to his normal tone and said, "You disappoint me, sunshine. I assumed that a badass such as yourself would be tougher than that." "And this comes from a man who wears more make-up than a dried up, ex-disco whore? A man who's face resembles a train wreck than a human-being? It's ironic." Dawn remarked. She did find him attractive, her insults were a sufficient concealment of her feelings.

Joker growled beneath his breath and punched her in the jaw. Dawn's head swung upon impact and she felt a throbbing pain from a red bruise upon the left side of her cheek. Despite the agony, she interpreted the gesture as a sign that she struck a sensitive concept within his mind. She decided to strike again, this time being prepared for any incoming assault and retaliate. "I thought men weren't supposed to hit girls…Then you must not be a man at all, huh?" she asked. He grabbed her by the hair and brought his face to hers, being an inch apart from each other. "I could easily kill you, Dawn. Would you like that, huh?" he growled. "You'd be doing me a favor." she said, maintaining her glare.

He slammed her head into the wall which left blood upon it's pink surface and caused her to groan in pain. "Son of a…bitch…" she managed to say with her face covered in blood and feeling dazed. Dawn jerked her head enough to where she grabbed his arm and induced pressure upon his tendons to force his hand to release her hair. He grimaced in pain and attempted to use his other hand to free his arm from her grasp. This had also been a foolish act since his hand was close enough to allow her teeth to sink into his hand and bite harshly. He screamed loudly which only induced her teeth to sink further into his profusely bleeding hand and come into contact with his bones.

He kicked her in the stomach which caused her jaws to release his flesh and fall to the ground. This only incited Dawn's anger to increase. She tolerated the pain with the bodily aid of her adrenaline and rage. Dawn lunged toward Joker and thrusted him into the mirror of her vanity. The back of his head bled against the cracked, reflective surface. Through the pain, he began to laugh maniacally, seeming to enjoy her attack.

Dawn had been ready to punch Joker's face, but a small, firm red gloved hand had grabbed her arm from behind. She felt a slender arm encircle her neck and lower her form into a half nelson. Dawn then realized that it had been Harley who had grabbed her and decided to cooperate. "Don't you be hurting my puddin' you little cunt!" Harley said sternly to her. Joker rose from the vanity, still bleeding from his wounds and smiled to her, then applauded. This had confused Dawn and raised a brow. He approached the battered girl and said, "That's what I want to see…but, a master needs to keep his dog in line…No matter how vicious of a bitch she is!" He then slapped her hard across the face which left another throbbing bruise on her right cheek and grabbed her by the ear. Harley released Dawn to watch her being dragged to the bathroom and shoved harshly into the empty tub. "Now clean yourself up!" he commanded sharply and departed, leaving a bloody trail behind upon the tiled floor.

Dawn smirked a little to see the blood, having the satisfactory evidence that she had indeed hurt him worse than the last confrontation. She then tensed to see Harley enter the bathroom and expected a beating from her as well. "If you want to kick my ass, just go ahead and get it over with. You can call me a liar and a whore if it will make you feel better." Dawn muttered and shifted her gaze to the tiled wall. She closed her eyes tightly and sighed, anticipating a physical punishment. Harley's light footsteps approached and Dawn thought _Here it comes…I have to take it like a champ…_Instead of a strike, she felt a soft bristled cloth brush against her face.

Dawn opened her eyes to see Harley smile warmly with a towel in her hands. "Isn't it your cue to hit me?" she asked, confused. "I can't pound what's already been pounded. It takes the fun out of it." Harley replied, throwing the towel into a hamper. "Heh, good point." she remarked and looked away once more. "Just try to be a good girl and he won't spank you." Harley encouraged. "If I were a good girl, I wouldn't be in this mess. I'm bad and a lost cause, there's no hope for me. No one gives a shit about me." she said in a matter-of-fact tone intermixed with melancholy. A moment of silence had passed and Dawn felt Harley's hand rest upon her scalp. She looked upward to see Harley frown, step into the tub next to her and pulled her into an embrace. "You might want to reconsider that." Harley said softly. Harley's embrace had dumbfounded her and debated on whether this gesture had been genuine or it was a well-played act. Dawn's arms slowly enveloped Harley, embracing her in return while closing the eyes and rested her face upon her shoulder. "What's this for?" she asked. "You just deserve it. Why did you stand up to him?" Harley asked. "I really don't know…Call it a crazy pity." she said.

It almost seemed an eternity as they embraced one another. They soon released each other and Dawn felt another foreign item rest upon her scalp. She then felt paper within her reaching hands and removed the item to notice a paper cat. "I swiped it from Mr. J and thought I could at least get one of them back for you." Harley explained. "Thank you…" she said softly, displaying a small grin. "And you heard the man, clean yourself up." Harley said, gently and began to rise from the tub. "Harley…" she said. She paused within her tracks and looked down to Dawn. Dawn's hands rose to her and said, "Keep it." Harley blinked her eyes in surprise and took the paper cat delicately as though it were fragile crystal. "Don't you want your kitty?" she asked, confused. "Naw, I can always make more." Dawn replied. Harley squealed with delight and hugged her again, then rushed out of the room to leave Dawn to bathe in privacy.

Harley then decided to help Joker by giving him medical attention. She slipped the paper cat under her hat and walked toward the bedroom with concern. "Nurse Harley is here!" she called out playfully and entered the room. She took notice of him sitting on the edge of the bed with a first aid kit resting beside him. He chuckled while shaking his head in a bemused manner and gazed at his bleeding hand with insane fascination. It seemed bizarre that he admired the deep bite marks that resembled a bloody crescent moon in his flesh.

He attempted to bandage the injured hand, and fumbled with the adhesive gauze. She rushed to him, took the bandage into her hand and bound the wound tightly at a quick spinning pace. Harley had flawless precision in snipping the bandage off with the available scissors from the kit. She repeated the same actions for his head wound and smiled. "There! That is much better!" she said. Joker kissed her cheek and said, "Thanks, doll-face." Harley smiled while tilting her head and rubbed her cheek, then said, "You should give up on Dawn. She's too wild of a kid to control." He laughed and said, "Oh, on the contrary, I already **do** control her. I got a rise out of her and I'm destroying that sweet side that has to go. When she played rough, I **knew** I picked the right girl!" "So you're making her go from a wild strawberry to a sour apple?" Harley asked, confused. "Exactly! This is just the start of a bad apple falling off the tree and I'll be there when she hits the ground. All she needs is one more hard **push** into madness." Joker said, confidently.

Joker did not sleep that night since the scuffle he had with Dawn. He continued to stare at his bandaged hand while grinning to himself as he sat at the dining room table. "How's the hand, puddin'?" Harley asked from the kitchen. She asked the question in the midst of boiling noodles upon the stove's surface. "It's fine, the girl's a biter!" he said and laughed heartily. "Should I muzzle her?" she asked. "No way! That would be like clipping a bird's wings! It's funny when they think they have a chance at freedom when it's really an illusion." he exclaimed. "That girl's more like a rabid, cunning fox than some dinky bird. Don't come crying to me when she bites your hand off next time." Harley said, peering through the steam. The fragrant fumes which surrounded her had portrayed an eerie appearance to Harley's painted face. She seemed like an oracle from the ancient times of Greece who gave a grim prophecy. "She's a Benedict Arnold that will be a classic turn coat." she said confidently. Joker laughed mockingly and said, "What's next, soothsayer? Warn me of the Ides of March?"

Harley simply shook her head while straining the noodles in the sink and said, "Maybe, I'm wrong. Who knows?" She then approached the hallway and called out, "Dinner time, sunshine!" "I-I'll be right there!" Dawn's voice called out in return. Dawn emerged into the kitchen and dining room area with same nervous apprehension as it had been at breakfast. She closed her eyes tightly to quickly dash by Joker to her chair across from him. Her eyes dared not look into his as she had stared at the floor, panting slowly with her face covered in sweat.

Joker tilted his head while giggling, leaning forward to peer closer upon Dawn. "What's wrong, sunshine? Look at me…" he said gently. Dawn shook her head as her fists tightened. "Look at me!" he shouted, sternly. Her posture became instantly straight and made direct eye contact. His face went from stern to soft, giving her a sad smile. "It breaks my heart to see you like this…You ought to be happy by now." he said, with disappointment.

She thought to herself…_He wants to manipulate me and lead me into some fake happiness. What if that is his weakness? Doing what he can to make me happy…Maybe, that can be my advantage to leave this place and escape. It is a cheap shot, but I will fire it off anyway. What have I got to lose?_ "Not being outside makes me sad…Papa Joker." she said, displaying her best convincing smile. "Don't play coy with me. I'm going to be keeping an eye on you. It is time that you got your feet wet." he said firmly. "Does this mean I will go outside?" she asked. "Yes, but that's for tomorrow. We are taking you out on a field trip." he replied. "I can't wait." she said, attempting to sound excited. "If you're a good girl, I'll treat you. If you're bad, you'll be a nasty splatter on the ground for the cops to scrape up. Got it?" he asked, peering into her eyes. "Yes, sir." she said, quietly. "I'll be on you like flies on shit, Dawn. If you even sneeze in a way that displeases me tomorrow, I'll slit that pretty little throat of yours." he said in a soft, yet stern tone. She nodded slowly and tried to maintain her scant composure with widened eyes. "I understand it…clear as crystal." she said, nervously. Harley approached the table with plates of spaghetti and placed them at their appropriate spots. "Good, now eat your supper." he said, firmly.

He watched her closer than usual, smirking to see her holding the fork with trembling fingers. "What's wrong? Don't you want to eat it?" Harley asked, becoming disappointed. Dawn paused to look at her and changed her pace to brisk by quickly spinning the noodles on the fork and eating it with enthusiastic vigor. "I love it, Mama Harley!" Dawn exclaimed. She had made the statement to maintain her façade and secret alliance to Harley. "Oh, good!" she beamed. "I love it, too." Joker added. Dawn could not help but chuckle to see them have an end of a noodle to their mouths, sucking it inward that drew them into a kiss. The gesture had been amusing, yet she felt envious by frowning to herself.

After finishing the meal, Dawn did not speak a word as she stood up slowly from her seat and took all of the dirty dishes into the kitchen. "Let me help you with that." Harley offered from her seat. "No, it's fine. Enjoy yourself, I can handle it." she said, while filling the sink with hot soapy water. "Do you want to your pipe and newspaper, Mr. J?" Harley asked, sweetly. "Yes, I would like that." he answered. She rose from her seat to fetch the items, but her arm had been grabbed by Joker. He lowered her to his level and spoke into her ear, "Watch her like a hawk." "Got it." she said and returned to her task.

Dawn breathed slowly, her own task of washing the dishes brought a moment of peace and serenity to her shaken nerves. She softly hummed the song Boats and Birds by Gregory and the Hawk to calm herself. At that moment of placing the last freshly dried plate into the cupboard, Joker's voice spoke suddenly. "Get to bed, sunshine." he said, in a slightly firm tone. The sudden speech had compelled a frozen position from fright. It had frightened her due to the proximity and how silently he had approached her. He stepped in front of her and gruffly clutched her chin to glare death into her eyes. "Do not make me say it again." he said firmly. "I'm going right now." she said, panting heavily. "Good girl…sweet dreams." he said, gently while releasing her face. He watched her walk to the bedroom at the end of the hall, and waved to her to see Dawn pause at the doorway to look at him. "Good night…" she called out to him, displaying a sheepish grin and entering the bedroom.

She had awakened the next morning to sudden shakes to her shoulders. Her eyes opened to see Harley shaking her with excited giggles. "Rise and shine! Today is a big day! You need to look your best!" Harley exclaimed. "Do I have to wear another frilly dress?" Dawn asked sleepily. Harley giggled louder and said, "No, the clothes we found you in, silly! This time I'm going to do your make-up and hair!" Dawn tensed at the thought of being treated like a doll again and covered her face with the blanket. "Oh no…This is worse…" she muttered. Harley pulled the blanket down, forcefully made her sit up by grabbing her hands and tugged at her arms. "Come on! Think of this as your debut!" Harley coaxed. "I'm not a performer like you so debuting is beyond me." Dawn said. "Oh yes you can. Now get out of bed and come with me. I'll treat you to your favorite candy bars on the way over." Harley said. She wanted to know how she knew her favorite treats and had remind herself that Harley read her diary, too.

Dawn obeyed her and climbed out of bed. Once she had entered the bathroom, she found her clothes hanging upon the towel rack which had appeared to be clean and smelt of tropical flowers. Harley waited patiently outside of the bathroom to allow her to bathe and dress. Ten minutes had passed and Dawn emerged into the bedroom fully dressed with moist hair. Harley had immediately ushered her to sit on the bed and had cosmetics strewn upon the bedspread.

She had child-like enthusiasm in the midst of brushing Dawn's hair and fashioning it into pigtails with black ribbons. Harley had flawless precision in lining the eyes with black paint and covering the face with liquid foundation that matched her skin-tone. The procedure had been done efficiently quick, yet had the delicate, professional touch. Harley placed a mirror before Dawn's face and said, "This is the "dawn" of a new look." Her reflection displayed a pink-haired girl wearing pigtails with flawless skin, eyes that stood out with dark eye shadow and liner, and dark rosy pink lipstick. "Holy shit! Is that me?!" she exclaimed, being baffled by the sight. "Indeedy doody it is!" Harley beamed.

Dawn genuinely smiled and had nearly wept with joy. She had always been insecure with her appearance and thought she had been ugly. The girl doubted that she could ever be glamorous as the other popular girls. She realized upon that moment, Harley's work had proven that ideal to be wrong. "What's the matter? Did I do it in a bad way?" Harley asked, being disappointed. "No! No! You didn't, Harley! It's just that I doubted myself…For once I do feel…beautiful. Thank you, for proving it to me that I had been the one who was wrong." Dawn replied and hugged her. Harley's eyes widened with surprise and hugged her in return. "You're welcome. We've got to get going, Mr. J does not want us to be late." Harley said.

Harley ushered Dawn out of the room, and towards the dining room where Joker waited impatiently. "It's about time you two were ready!" he exclaimed and approached them. He placed his hands upon Dawn's shoulders and said, "This is your time to shine, Dawn. You will play nice with the other kids at their museum field trip, be your sneaky self to go into the security room, and lay out the welcome matt for us. We don't need those rude boys and girls in blue interrupting our performance now do we?" "No, sir. We don't need them interrupting us." she said quietly. He brought his face closer to hers, glaring into her eyes and said sternly, "And no funny business, understand?!" She gulped and nodded slowly. He stood to his normal posture and patted her head. "Make me proud! Harley gather the men, it's Gotham Museum or bust." he said.


	6. Field Trip

Dawn had been blind-folded by a blue handkerchief and felt strong hands grasp her shoulders. She walked forlornly by Joker's guidance from behind her. Her other senses became acute in mid-stride, balled her hands into fists, and hung her head as though she had been a condemned prisoner about to be executed. "Hurry up, don't dawdle." his voice said, impatiently. She increased her pace and felt his hands tighten their grip and jerked her backwards. Dawn obeyed the silent command to stop, heard a door swing open, and smelt a sugary sweet aroma that wafted in the breeze. The sound of grinding gears and whistles were faint from a distance and she thought _Am I next to a candy factory? It has the same type of smell on his breath._

Dawn's curiosity overcame her pensive mood, having her ears listen carefully to the surroundings. She could also hear her own sneakers scrape against the pavement as well as his shoes thump from behind her. A diesel engine began to rumble close to them as they walked. A squeaking noise pierced through the low volume followed by a light thump. _I know those sounds. Is he leading me into a bus?_ she thought again. His hand clutched hers, placed it upon a sloping bar and said, "Walk up the stairs."

Dawn's raised foot touched the stair and ascended the steps quickly. Her hands groped through the sightless, dark world and attempted to navigate independently through the vehicle. She felt a small, gentle hand grasp her right hand and heard a familiar feminine giggle. "Have a seat." Harley's voice said. The gentle hands guided her to a smooth seat to sit upon. She seemed to have kept her promise and put a rectangular plastic covered item into her hands and said, "Your breakfast, you'll need energy." Dawn opened the item and tasted the product. To her discovery, it had been a simple pure chocolate bar. Its sweet flavor seemed to have brought ease to her anxiety.

"Who's the chick?" a gruff man's voice said from behind her seat. Warm foul-smelling breath that smelt of cigarettes had assaulted her nostrils and brushed against her left ear. "Our helper." Joker said simply. She felt the seat sink from beside her and an arm encircle her torso, being brought close to another man's slim form. "How come you get to do that?" the man's voice said. " 'Cause I can." he said and laughed. Dawn's form stiffened and had been frightened to realize that it had been Joker who held her. She breathed slowly in attempt to remain calm. "Just so you know how **serious** I can be." he whispered sternly into her ear. She knew that it was his method of closely monitoring her and that it had been effective. "Next stop, Gotham Museum!" Harley announced from further away. The door had been swung shut and the engine roared louder as she felt the bus engage in it's motion.

What made the trip to the museum bizarre, had been the group of eight criminals who sang an old song about dead puppies. It had been worse with Joker urging Dawn to sing along with them..

**(Dead Puppies by Dr. Demento)**

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

_They don't come when you call_

_They don't chase squirrels at all_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

_My puppy died late last fall_

_He's still rotting in the hall_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

_Mom says puppy's days are through_

_She's gonna throw him in the stew_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies_

_Dead puppies aren't much fun_

To ease the situation, Dawn complimented him, "You're very good, Papa Joker." He chuckled and said, "Flattery won't get you anywhere. I'm still watching you." "Yes, sir." she said and managed to grin. "We're here!" Harley announced. The bus came to a sudden stop accompanied by a loud hissing from behind the group.

Dawn felt quick fingers roll the handkerchief off her face and opened her eyes to see Joker holding the cloth and Harley in the driver's seat. She looked about to see thugs dressed in street clothes with clown masks covering their faces. Joker placed the cloth into her hands and instructed, "When you're done, toss this out of a window and we'll take over from there. You know what to do, sunshine. Make us proud." He anxiously ushered her out of the school bus. She stood outside of the bus to look upon the gigantic entrance to the museum and looked back. The entire group gave her the thumps up gesture as a sign of encouragement and she nodded to them while walking slowly into the building. _Now would be a good time to run, but they must have guns. I can run fast, yet I can't outrun a bullet. _she thought sensibly in the midst of putting the cloth in her pocket.

She had blended in with a group of teenagers who had filed inside the cavernous building while being lead by their teacher. The teacher had been a mature man of middle age. He had been portly with balding brown hair and dressed in casual office attire. His clothes consisted of a lime green long sleeved dress shirt, brown slacks, and black leather shoes. Dawn pretended to be interested in the exhibits as he gave his lecture to the students. The only exhibit that had interested her had been the painting known as Starry Night by Vincent Van Gough. The highlighted stars in its colorful atmosphere had brought a strange serenity to her mind. It was a sign of hope in her chaotic world.

The class had passed by the customer service desk. Dawn briefly looked to the hallway. At the end of the hall had been a door with the sign that read SECURITY. What was an obstacle to the mission had been a computerized lock that served as a keypad. She took the moment to go into an available women's restroom to the left side of the hall. The nervous girl stayed at the door, pushing it open to look through the crack.

She had waited patiently for a security officer to open the door and grinned to see a red haired, freckled face, young man dressed in a white uniform approach. Her eyes observed keenly upon the keypad and memorized the code that had been programmed into the lock. As soon as the security officer entered the room, she dashed to the door and pressed her ear to its surface to listen carefully for occupants. She discovered there had been two men inside the room and frowned to realize that she had to wait longer. Dawn had to hide in the women's restroom again upon hearing one of them come toward the door. The code had been repeated within her thoughts to keep the memory stable. She returned to the door to listen carefully, hearing the other occupant enter a private bathroom by the clanging of a toilet seat.

Dawn seized the opportunity by punching the code in haste and entering the room. One side of the room had been covered in monitors that displayed the activity within the museum, and control switches that governed the alarm functions from its console. She took one of the available swivel chairs and pressed the back of it to the bathroom's door, barricading the officer inside. The girl turned to the console and frantically thought, _There must be a way I can get help without him suspecting anything. Think Dawn! Think!_ Her hands hovered over the switches and looked to the silent alarm. _I've got it!_ she thought triumphantly. Dawn activated the silent alarm, yet quickly switched it off along with the other alarms.

_This way he would think I have done what he told me, but he will get caught. Let's hope this trick works._ she thought. She took this moment to remove the chair from the bathroom's door and dash out of the security room. Her return to the women's restroom had been necessary and rapid since it had an available window. She followed the last of Joker's instructions by removing the cloth from her pocket, and depositing it out of the window.

Dawn carefully looked out through the crack of the door and exited quietly once satisfied that it had been vacant. She had simulated a calm façade by walking at a casual pace towards the spacious lobby. The glass doors had been the beacon that lead her out of the intense situation. Just as she reached the center of the lobby, a man's gentle voice said from behind her, "Excuse me, young lady. Leaving so soon?" She paused within her tracks with shock and widened eyes. _Do they know I have tampered with the alarms? _she thought, fearfully. Dawn mentally searched for any composure that had been left as she faced the young security officer and said, "Oh, I'm just getting my camera that I left in the bus." "That's good, you want to make memories with these fine subjects." he said and smiled to her. "Yeah, I've got to hurry or I'll lose my group." she said and walked briskly to the doors.

A diesel engine's roar had been unleashed from outside and the rear of a school bus had busted through the doors. The crash caused a wave of broken glass to fly towards the crowds that screamed and ran in terror. Dawn ducked and covered her head with her hands to guard her vulnerable face. She brushed the fragments from her person while standing upright and attempted to flee from the building. The masked thugs began to swarm into the building from the bus' rear door. She, then dashed past the bus and towards the museum's staircase.

Before a foot could be placed upon the available stairs, the back of her shirt had been roughly snatched by a strong hand and felt her body being dragged backwards. Dawn looked back to see a tall man wearing a black sweatshirt that had his face covered by a hood. The man's hand lifted the hood to reveal the Chelsea smile painted face that belonged to The Joker. "Awww…Don't go! You'll miss out on the fun!" he said and merrily laughed. With powerful ease, he quickly lifted her upon his back and had her carried in a fatherly way known as the "piggy back ride." "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" he yelled with unbridled glee while running further into the building. Dawn held on for dear life and had been twice as frightened than she had ever been before.

The masked thugs had whipped out butterfly knives from their pockets and began to carve faces from the paintings. Joker whipped out a micro mac automatic pistol from his coat and shot the genitals off the Statue of David replica, leaving a gaping hole into his pelvis. "He's had a sex-change!" he shouted and laughed heartily. "Should I give him my bra?" she asked nervously. "You are funny after all, sunshine." he commented. She managed to grin a little and said, "Thanks, so are you."

He performed a leap frog jump over a garbage can while giggling and pranced towards a tyrannosaurus rex's skeleton, paused, and tilted his head with curiosity. "I like this dead lizard. He is always smiling even in death. With teeth like that how could he not be happy?" he said and chuckled. "If he were alive?" she asked. "Exactly." he said.

Dawn heard the click of a gun from behind her and a man's voice shout, "Freeze!" Joker whirled around to face the young security officer she spotted earlier who held out his gun. He mockingly gushed, "Look at you! You're trying to apprehend me. What a big boy you are with that shiny new gun and badge. Isn't that just precious?" "Get your hands behind your head and let the girl go!" the security officer demanded. "Do you know what happens to you after a surprise?" Joker asked. Dawn spotted a thug holding his .357 magnum pistol to the back of the officer's head. "You tell me." he said. The thug then shot his gun, having his head shatter open with a spray of blood and brains splatter upon the pristine white floor. "Speechless!" Joker shouted and laughed maniacally. Her eyes widened with her jaw agape in shock and buried her face into his left shoulder, holding back her tears.

He skipped to the remains of the security officer, lifted what was left of his head into his hands and moved the jaw in a puppet fashion. "Look at me! I'm a super rent-a-cop loser who is so great!" Joker said in a nasally tone. He then threw the body down, danced on his chest, and spat on his face.

Joker looked to the patrons of the museum and smiled. "Oh why so serious? Let's play a little game." he said. He looked to a random grandmother and grandson who huddled together in fright upon the floor. The elderly woman seemed to be sixty years of age as her grandchild who seemed to be ten. They were approached by Joker and quivered with every step he made toward them. He crouched down, took her hand , placed his micro mac into her hand, and said, "You get to choose a person to kill from the group or…" He paused and had a knife to the brown haired, blue-eyed boy's throat.. "the kid dies." Dawn's tolerance could not endure any further injustice and protested, "Don't do this! You can't!" "You disappoint me, sunshine. Do you want to join in the game, too?" he asked. "No." she said, quietly. "Then keep your tongue in your mouth or I'll cut it out." he threatened.

The elderly woman looked about the crowd while standing up and spotted a sickly looking bald man wearing a simple white t-shirt and shorts sitting in a wheelchair. The man had a breathing apparatus attached to his nose and connected to a decompression air pump hooked to the back of his chair. "It's alright, I've lived my life. Shoot…" he said solemnly between hisses of his device. "Oh, come on! That's too easy!" Joker complained.

She randomly pointed the gun at a short haired blond young woman dressed in a pink tank top and jean shorts with sandals. "That's more like it!" he complimented. Dawn had recognized the young woman to be Britney Fisher. "Shoot her or your grandkid gets a happy face on his neck!" Joker threatened and brought the blade closer to the boy's flesh. Dawn mouthed out the words…'I'm so sorry…'

"Don't let her kill me, Dawn! Please!" Brittany pleaded with tears in her eyes. "So you two know each other. How perfect!" Joker said and laughed.

The sound of broken glass shattered from above the scene. The patrons looked upward to spy a dark figure descend swiftly to the floor. Random thugs had shot their rounds at the intruding figure in mid-descent, only to have their bullets deflected from a Kevlar-based cape that had covered him. Dawn identified the dark shape once it had touched the floor with a loud thump. He had been fairly tall, clad in a black thick rubber suit that resembled a bat with its enclosed mask that covered the upper half of his face. This intimidating man had been known as The Batman. The infamous vigilante that struck terror into the hearts of dangerous criminals of Gotham. "It's about time you showed up! You're just in time for the real fun!" Joker said and giggled.

Batman had a horde of henchmen ready to fight him. He had fought two of them individually with little effort. A few punches to their faces and kicks to their stomachs had disabled them easily. However, he had used an underhanded technique against two other thugs who had shot at him. He covered himself with the cape once more to deflect the bullets and ran between them. His plan had worked by having the men shoot each other's chests in mid-dash. "Party-pooper!" Joker complained.

Dawn decided to take this opportune moment of distraction to jump from his back and sneak away again. "Where do you think you're going?!" Joker yelled and grabbed Dawn by the arm to jerk her backwards into his clutches. "Let her go!" Batman demanded in his deep raspy voice. "You know…You're the second person who has told me to do that! I am starting to get tired of it!" Joker said with aggravation, holding a knife to her throat. She struggled within his arms as she had been dragged backwards towards an available elevator. Batman pursued them to apprehend Joker and free Dawn, only to have them be inside the closed elevator before the goal could be accomplished.

He ran to the available dimly lit staircases that lead to the several floors that towered from above him. The solution to his problem had been using a grappling hook to project from a withdrawn gun and encircle the furthest banister and ascend swiftly to the top floor.

Meanwhile, inside the elevator, Joker said in a harsh and condescending tone, "You thought you were soooo clever! Setting off the alarm beforehand…Did you think that would work?! Huh?!" "Someone needed to stop you!" Dawn said while attempting to free her arms from his grasp. "Bad girls will go…" he paused his speech to whistle from a high pitch to a lower one then made a comical squishing sound effect, "splat! No one likes a tattle tale and you being street pizza will be your spanking for being bad." "Hell no! I won't let you!" she shouted and increased her thrashings against Joker. He pinned her to the wall by the wrists, brought his face close to hers, performed a mock sigh and said, "I will miss that fiery spunk of yours, sunshine. It's too bad you brought this on yourself. Dawn is about to become dusk."

Once they made it to the roof, he dragged her towards the edge. A blunt object had struck Joker upon the cheek, which influenced him to pause and hold the throbbing, bruised flesh with a gloved hand. "Batman…" he said with contempt as his face became stern.

Dawn also seized this moment to elbow him in the kidneys. The blow to his organs influenced him to grimace and shuffle backwards from her towards the edge of the roof. She smiled with triumph to see him teeter and begin to fall with flailing arms that waved wildly. Unfortunately, she did not anticipate his hand grabbing her arm, which caused Joker to dangle with a twenty foot distance from below himself. "Don't let him fall!" Batman shouted while dashing towards them.

Joker's grip upon her arm began to slacken, having the hand slide down the limb to her wrist. Dawn grasped his forearm tightly and received another unexpected gesture from him. "Come on! Drop me! You know you want to!" he taunted with a playful smile, releasing the hand from her arm. "Don't do it!" Batman yelled. She began to have second thoughts of the dilemma. _I want him to pay for what he did to me!….Then again, he did save my life, but it was selfish on his part…How can I save an evil man like him from death? His life is in my hand! Literally!_ she thought, confused.

"Don't give him what he wants." Batman advised. His words seemed to summon a new strategy within Dawn's mind. She displayed a sly smile and began to swing him ever so slightly in the manner of a pendulum. "Tell me, Papa Joker. If my hand was candy, what type would it be?" she asked. "You are telling a joke? Okay, I give up. What would your candy hand be? " he asked, fondly. She swung him to a gigantic marble statue of a horse and released his arm. His eyes widened at the moment of release and she answered, "Butterfingers!" Batman and Dawn watched him plummet to the very back of the horse and scream after he landed upon his buttocks. "Who's spanking who?" she remarked, rhetorically.

(Do not worry, this is not the end! I will give a hint. Dawn gets a nasty surprise in the next chapter.)


	7. Visitations and Gifts

Many questions were asked about Joker's return amongst the Arkham Asylum inmates. Their gossip echoed against the brick walls to a dull roar in the cavernous facility. "I heard he fell on a stone horse." "Yeah, he raided a museum." "Didn't he have jailbait clinging on him?" "Some chick with pink hair." "Joker gets all the girls. Fuck him!" "El Diablo bufon regresos!"

The inmates instantly became silent to watch two security guards drag Joker into the room by his arms, clad in a white prisoner uniform. The psychopathic clown smiled at the inmates and shouted playfully, "Heya fellas! I'm baaaack! Anyone miss me?" The entire asylum hooted and hollered in response as he had been thrown into a dank cell. He laughed maniacally while having the rusted barred door to his cell slammed shut and locked automatically.

Harley had been detained at the second floor of the asylum, looking down upon her beloved with a frown. "So close…yet, so far away…" she said while exhaling a heavy sigh and holding the bars. A brunette female security officer approached her door and said, "You've got a visitor." "Who would visit me?" Harley asked, bewildered. She blinked her eyes in surprise to see Dawn step into her line of sight.

"Sunshine?" she asked, dumbfounded. "It's Dawn." she said, flatly. "Dawn it is then. What are you doing here?" Harley inquired. "Visiting you. What's it look like?" she replied, with a grin. "Why would you visit me? I thought you would hate me and blow me off." Harley said. "I don't really know myself, but all I can say is that you were the only one who had been slightly nice to me throughout the ordeal. The least I could do is to visit you." she explained. Harley smiled and exclaimed, "If these bars were not in the way, I'd hug you!" "But, I also want to give you a piece of advice…That is to dump Joker's pathetic ass." she added, bluntly. "I can't…" Harley said with melancholy, looking to the floor. "Yes, you can. It's easy. Just say, 'We're over, puddin.' Then walk away and not look back." she coaxed. "I'm not as ballsy as you, Dawn." Harley said in defense. "Well, let me know when you do then contact me. Then and only then we will ever be friends." she said. "Do you mean that?" Harley asked, hopefully. "Yes." she said, and displayed a full smile. "Time is up, ladies." the officer said. Dawn nodded to her and said, "I might come back again." "Please! And teach me how to make a paper cat next time!" she said anxiously. "Maybe." Dawn said, while being escorted away by the officer.

She had walked down the stairs and returned to the first floor. While walking towards the exit, Dawn had to avert her eyes from Joker's cell in her attempt to ignore him out of need for mental recovery. "Leaving without a goodbye? Now that's just cold." he said with mock hurt in his tone. Dawn extended a middle index finger to him in response while walking past him. "Spin and rotate, my dear." he said and laughed heartily. Dawn paused in her tracks, displayed a wicked smile, and said, "You'll probably be doing that in the shower soon." "Your tongue is sharp as my knife. I was right to choose you." he commented and chuckled. "And you were wrong to think I would be your slave. Don't ever try to come after me again!" she said coldly. "Then I shouldn't have made my men to leave a special present on your bed." he said with supposed disappointment. She blanched at the thought of a gift from him, not knowing what potentially horrible surprise he planned for her. "What special present are you talking about?" she asked, warily.

"Oh that is for me to know and for you to find out." he said with his own evil smile. Dawn dashed out of the asylum, having Joker's laughter echo against the walls. The sound seemed to chase her as though she were a frightened rabbit being pursued by a hungry wolf.

Her heart pounded with relentless force against her ribs, having the lungs burn in the midst of running five miles through the busy streets towards her mother's apartment. Her fearful panic increased by the moment she entered the apartment complex's hallway. Dawn's anxiety overcame her patience for the elevator and ran upstairs to the third level of the building. The pounding footsteps seemed to have been in sync with her fierce heart beats.

She fumbled with the keys upon arriving to the front door and eventually unlocked it. The door had been slammed open and left ajar while running through the living room and towards her bedroom. Her bedroom door had been slammed open as well. She smelled a moist metallic scent within the air of the dark chamber. _Is that blood?_ she thought while widening her eyes in shock. Her extended trembling hand groped the wall near the threshold and discovered the light switch. Dawn inhaled and exhaled deeply before activating the lamp that stood at her nightstand. To her horror, upon the bed laid a man in a business suit with his abdomen split open and intestines resting on a silver platter stationed on his pelvis. Blood gushed from the hollow opening upon her black bedspread. Her jaw hung agape after laying eyes on the gruesome site. She panted slowly with terror to discover the flayed man had been her father. What added to the horrific surprise, had been a bloody scrawled message upon her wall above the bed: **No guts, no glory.**


	8. The Joke is On You

A month had passed since Dawns ordeal with The Joker, it was a worse December for her that year. She had been withdrawn from her usual mischief and society since she could not enjoy it without the fear of him watching her and attempting to kill her again. It was supposed to be a season of joy and she felt isolated more than usual due to her present melancholy and anxiety. The girl had simply tolerated attending school and insured to do as little interaction with people as possible. She occasionally found treasures in the local dumpsters and stayed in the small apartment home instead of venturing off into the night. It was a surprise to her mother who worked as a waitress at a bustling café and returned to a clean home daily. Her fellow classmates and teachers thought it was very odd that she became quiet and well-behaved.

On the day before the scheduled school winter vacation, she attended the lunch hour at Gotham Highs crowded cafeteria. The loud speakers that surrounded the walls blared with a womans voice that spoke, Dawn Kingston, please come to the counselors office. _What do they want now? I havent done anything. _she thought with bewildered frustration. The girl obeyed the summons with a trudging pace, walking through the cafeteria and ignoring the stares from the students who sat at their tables. She eventually made it to the administrative office after walking through the halls.

As soon as she opened the door, the womans voice said, Have a seat, Miss Kingston. Dawn took the offer politely and sat in a blue plastic chair in front of the secretarys desk. She knew the woman to be Mrs. Crabtree who had been middle-aged with short brown and gray hair, dressed professionally, and had a consoling maternal air towards Dawn each time she had been chastised in the past. Mrs. Crabtree had expressed her concern for Dawns recent change in behavior and seemed to be aware of the trauma she had been suffering from. Would you like some taffy? she offered. No thanks Dawn replied quietly and stared at the floor.

A familiar mans voice spoke from the intercom that rested upon the secretarys desk, "Please send her in." "The new counselor, Mr. White is ready to see you now". she said pleasantly. Dawn exhaled a heavy sigh in the midst of standing and approaching the counselor offices door. She opened the door slowly to peek into the room. It seemed to be an ordinary office interior with a small desk and chairs in the center of the room and a computer station behind it. The walls were covered by inspirational posters with memorable quotes. A pair of legs clad in blue slacks, black socks and shoes could be seen from behind a black leather chair with the back of it facing her and obscuring her view of the man. Please sit down, sunshine. he said.

Dawn froze in her tracks with widened eyes and had a slackened open jaw in her sudden surprise and fright. There had been only one intimidating person that had ever called her that name. The chair began to turn to face her with a slight creak of its hinges to display The Joker in all of his face painted, fearsome glory. It had been strange and terrifying to see this madman seated in an office with his hands held together in an arch. He tilted his head to give her a penetrating glare and spoke in a gentle yet frightening manner, "Dont be shy and enter. I am here to here to help you."

She had enough sense to know that it was best to cooperate with him and swallowed nervously and stepped inside the office while closing the door behind herself. "Good girl. Did you miss me?" he asked with a deluded affection. "No...Why would I?" she asked, finding the courage to express her contempt. He laughed heartily and commented, "Still feisty even when traumatized! I looked over their last months records about you and I gotta say...I thought youd go emo and cut yourself." Dawn gave him an icy glare and said, "As though reading my diary was not enough for you, now youre doing covert research in here, too. Dont you have another hospital to blow up instead of harassing me?" Joker laughed louder and longer at her remark, shook his head in a bemused way, and exclaimed, "You even remembered my terms, Im flattered!" She scowled and demanded, "Cut to the chase, what do you want?!"

"Just to help you see that you are miserable and helpless without me." he answered, casually. "Since when did you start giving a shit about people at all?" she asked. "Oh don"t be Little Miss Negative. I care more than you think." he said, dismissing her question in a playful paternal manner. "I highly doubt that." she said. "There you go again! Always being the pessimist and shooting down my kind words to you! Ive let you into my world and nothing satisfies you!" he said, angrily. "You **took **me into it! What about all the mean things you have done to me? If that is your kindness then I don"t want to see your cruelty!" she yelled in defense.

He looked to her in confusion, grinned, then pointed to her and said, "You are **good**! And you are making a mistake. I could have **given** you the **world** and you choose to live in this serious and dismal one. Though I can be a nice guy for a change." Dawn raised a brow and asked, "Does this mean that you will leave me alone?" "Yes, but not before leaving you a Christmas gift." he replied while rising from his chair. Her muscles tensed while walking backwards into the door as he had approached her. His last supposed gift had deeply devastated her and she had been petrified to know what his next gift would become.

She breathed heavily with impending fear to watch him reach into an inner coat pocket, assuming he had been about to withdraw a weapon to kill her. Her eyes closed tightly while turning her head aside and scrunching the face. "Just kill me and get it over with." she said quietly. She would feel a cold string of metal surround her neck and heard his chuckle. _ He is using a choke chain instead of a knife! _she thought. Dawn expected the chain to constrict her breathing, to her confusion it paused and rested upon her flesh. "Open your eyes, sunshine and take a look." he coaxed. She obeyed and had been surprised to see him hold a mirror before her to display a golden heart-shaped locket dangling by a thin chain from her neck. Her jaw hung agape in complete shock, not expecting a token of this high affection from him. "I-I don't know what to say...except thank you, especially for not killing me." she stammered with a nervous laugh. "Let this be a memento of the life you could have lived with me. It was not easy getting it." he said. He opened a sliding glass window that lead out to a snowy field. The Joker made a comical kissing motion to her while exiting through the window and shutting the pane behind him.

Dawn had been genuinely puzzled by this encounter while stepping out of the now empty office. She held the locket between a forefinger and thumb, having to confess to herself that she admired its beauty. The girl paused once she came across the principals office in mid-stride. The man sat at his desk while leaning backwards in his chair in the midst of having a telephone conversation. "I dont know where it could be, sweetheart. Did you check the bathroom?" he asked, presumably speaking to his wife. He paused for a few moments and then said, "It's okay, Doris. I can get you a new locket tomorrow."

After hearing this partial conversation, she smirked to herself and thought, _Of course it was easy to get with your usual five-finger discount, Joker._


	9. Bloopers

(Warning: Do not read if you do not have a sense of humor. Pretend these chapters were scenes from a movie and you will get to see the bloopers during the "filming".)

Chapter 1 Scene 1

Principal Washington: "You are a such a smart young lady and you do foolish things."

Dawn: *speaks in a Southern belle dialect* Why, Principal Washington…Are you coming on to me?

Scene 2

The Dawn stunt double attempts to walk the tree, but only falls off three times before getting it right.

Scene 4

The masked Joker played the Dawn stunt double's buttocks like bongo drums while she giggled halfway in the dumpster. His hands separated the butt cheeks with his thumbs and said in a cutesy voice, "Thank you, sir. May I have another?"

Scene 10

Joker: You look nervous. Is it the scars?

Dawn: No, sir…

Joker: Then what's making you so scared?

Dawn: *grimaces* The garlic you had for breakfast! Brush your teeth!

Scene 11

The toy duck used as pitched diversion for Harley had hit the camera instead and short circuited the device.

Dawn: Oops…I suck at throwing!

Chapter 2

Scene 3

The Joker actor is reading the intimate diary entry and had been instructed to have the erection before leaving the room. He had preemptively been equipped with prosthetic genitals to control the actions.

Joker: *reads the diary entry and had the off-cue erection*

Director: Cut! Cut! *yells to the crewmen* Who inflated the prosthetic off-cue?!

Crewman: It was not us, sir.

Director: Guys, a little professionalism here! Aaand action!

Joker: *reads the diary entry again and the off-cue erection happened once more*

Director: Cut! Cut! *yells to the crewmen* Who the fuck keeps inflating it?!

Crewman: I keep telling you, it wasn't us!

Director and Crewmen: *glare at Joker*

Joker: My bad…*blushes beet red*

Director: Jesus Christ, it's like working with horny 7th graders! *looks to Joker* Hey, Ron Jeremy! Keep it down!

Joker: I'll try harder, sir. *the bulge became bigger*

*FYI Ron Jeremy is a world famous pornographic movie actor whose penis had been 9.75-inches long.

Chapter 3

Scene 6

Joker: Now tell me what is making you so twitchy? *has Dawn on his lap*

Dawn: Uh...*widens eyes* Your third leg poking me right now is doing it!


End file.
